Method and device for producing a three-dimensional object

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object comprises making a material avail-able in a material volume and forming a three-dimensional object made of the material by means of selectively irradiating the material with ultrasound.

1 . A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object, comprising:
 providing a material in a material space; and   forming a three-dimensional object from the material by selectively irradiating the material with ultrasound.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the selective irradiating of the material takes place along a predefined path through the material, wherein the path corresponds to a structure of the three-dimensional object. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , where the selective irradiating comprises focusing the ultrasound onto a plurality of predefined areas of the material. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , where the selective irradiating of the material comprises focusing the ultrasound using a focusing optics and/or using a phased-array ultrasound source. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the selective irradiating of the material comprises irradiating the material with at least a first ultrasonic beam and at least a second ultrasonic beam, wherein, the first ultrasonic beam and the second ultrasonic beam are coming from different spatial directions and are focusing onto a predefined area of the material. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a granulate. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein forming the three-dimensional object comprises melting the material by selectively irradiating the material with ultrasound. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein forming the three-dimensional object comprises selectively irradiating the material with ultrasound at a first frequency and selectively irradiating the material with ultrasound at a second frequency, and wherein the second frequency is different from the first frequency. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing a construction element in the material space, wherein the construction element is at least, in part, adjacent to the material, and wherein forming the three-dimensional object comprises selectively linking the material to the construction element. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising removing material from the three-dimensional object by means of selectively irradiating the three-dimensional object with ultrasound. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object, comprising:
 an ultrasound unit that is configured to selectively irradiate with ultrasound a material provided in a material space.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising a focusing unit associated with the ultrasounds unit and operating to focus the ultrasound onto various predefined areas of the material, wherein the focusing unit includes at least one of a lens and a phased-array ultrasound source. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the ultrasound unit comprises a plurality of ultrasound sources, each of the plurality of ultrasound sources being arranged in one of various spatial orientations towards the material space and operating to provide one of various frequencies of ultrasound. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising the material space, wherein the material space is defined in a container configured for holding the material. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the granulate is a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is selected from the group consisting of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamide (PA), polylactic acid (PLA), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). 
     
     
         18 . A computer program with computer-readable and computer-executable instructions, comprising:
 instructions for operating an ultrasound unit associated with, and responsive to, commands provided by a computer that operates the computer-readable and executable instructions, the computer-readable and executable instructions including (a) instructions for emitting ultrasound and (b) instructions for selectively focusing the ultrasound onto predefined areas of a material disposed in a material space;   wherein the computer operates the ultrasound unit to focus the emitted ultrasound along a predefined path through the material, the predefined path corresponding to a structure of a three-dimensional object.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program of  claim 18 , wherein the commands provided by the computer are configured to, at least one of, focus optics associated with the ultrasound unit and control a phased-array ultrasound source. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program of  claim 18 , wherein the commands provided by the computer operate the ultrasound device to irradiate the material with at least a first ultrasonic beam and at least a second ultrasonic beam, the first ultrasonic beam and the second ultrasonic beam coming from different spatial directions and being focused onto a predefined area of the material. 
     
     
         21 . The computer program of  claim 18 , wherein the commands provided by the computer operate the ultrasound device to irradiate the material with ultrasound at a first frequency and with ultrasound at a second frequency, the first and second frequencies being different.